


She's Driving me Crazy, but I'm Into It

by waiting4peterpan



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, Fix-it fic, Toni is just trying to help Jughead, but feelings sometimes get in the way, song fic is you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 11:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12681171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waiting4peterpan/pseuds/waiting4peterpan
Summary: Toni helps Jughead with his breakup in the only way a Serpent could, by bringing him to the barFix-it fic for the end of 2x05





	She's Driving me Crazy, but I'm Into It

“You’re going to have a hard time hiding that from Betty”

“I think that's a non-issue now”, Toni was surprised by this, they had seemed solid. Her mind was racing trying to think of what to do, so before she could do anything stupid she stood up quickly and let a soft smile fall on her face.  
“Let's get a drink,” she offered him her hand and waited, waited for him to understand she was there for him, waited for him to heal just a bit, waited for him to look at her. Then he did. He grabbed his jacket and stood up, he looked so damn tired.  
“You get free drinks after initiation, drinking age be damned,” she told him. He seemed to perk up at that and followed her outside. She jumped on her bike, yelling, “Race you there?” Without waiting for his response, she hit the pedal and ripped off, the sound of his protest muffled by the wind and powerful grunt of her motorcycle. She thought she heard a laugh, maybe a ghost of one but it was something.

Naturally, she beat him. Toni was no stranger to the skip marked roads as her Saturdays were usually spent behind her Harley on the stretch of highway no one but Serpents were ever on. Jughead never even had a chance. To the victor went the spoils, so she snuck behind the bar to grab a near-empty bottle of whiskey and some shot glasses.

Two rounds later, they started to slow down with beers and the kind of aimless chatter that was comforting. It was weird how easy it was to talk to Jughead. She loved the others, Sweet Pea and Fangs had been her big brothers from the second she passed initiation, but they didn’t have things beyond the gang in common. With Jughead, they could talk about anything - books, movies, standout serial killers of the last century or so. It was nice. They carried on until Jughead made an offhanded comment about never playing pool before.

“Whoa, you’re kidding me, right?”

Raising his hands in submission, Jughead said, “Not even a little - it’s not like there are bars that would let kids in on the North side.”

They both looked at each other, choosing to ignore the reminder of all the Northside-Southside differences and drama. Toni took the last swig of her beer, slamming the bottle down on the table, she stood up and tugged on his arm. “I am not letting you leave this bar until we play a game.”

“Toni I have no idea how to play.” He flapped his arms awkwardly and Toni just smirked, wide enough that he looked a little scared. Good. _Everyone should be a little afraid of Toni Topaz._  
“I’ll teach you, then I’ll take all your money”.

Dragging him to the table, she started setting up, explaining the rules as she went. Jughead was looking at the table with more fear than he’d had when he faced the gauntlet.  
“Break for me, Jones?”

He looked at her dumbfounded.

Rolling her eyes, Toni said, “Oh my god were you even listening okay come here.” She placed one hand on his back arm to regulate his pull and balance him while her other hand covered his to guide the cue.  
“On the count of three, we’re gonna hit the white one and let the triangle over there break apart.”  
“Three.”

The muscles in his back were tense and she could feel how aware he was of her and her closeness. She was aware too, in spite of herself.

“Two.”

His hand was warm and rough under hers, she noted absently. He was a writer, she knew and part of her had expected him to have soft hands. Indoor hands. But there were nicks and scars, calluses too. She ran a finger across his knuckles before shaking her head. Shit, this was not good.  
“One.”  
She focused on the game, pulling back the cue with him and doing a perfect shot. The balls clacked against each other, rolling around the table. Neither of them moved for a moment or two. Toni thought about how warm he felt against her front before pulling back with a wince.

Jughead looked mildly confused at how quickly she’d moved away.

To cover up the weirdness, Toni said too loudly, “So, ready to play?”

.  
Jughead acquiesced with a shrug. And they went at it. The only thing she did better than play pool was ride bikes, and so just like the race she had won earlier - this was pretty easy. The difference this time was that Jughead gave her a run for her money. He was a quick study and only lost by one ball, a ball he was holding in his hand and glaring at like it killed Hotdog the Third or something.  
“Jones, it’s not the ball’s fault you suck.”  
“One ball Toni.” He looked so desperate it made her want to laugh, more so she was thankful that he didn’t look all torn up and heartbroken anymore. It was nice to how her plan to cheer him up was working. Before he could say anything else, a song rang through the speakers and all coherent thought left Toni Topaz mind.

_She worked her way through a cheap pack of cigarettes_

Almost every girl in the bar and some boys rushed to the dance floor, Toni included. She dragged Jughead along with her. She still had a hold of his hand as she spun around and bounced along to the guitar, yelling lyrics like many people in the dingy joint. Hair flew everywhere while she tried to coerce Jughead into dancing along. Maybe it was the begging or the whiskey but he started to dance - badly. But he tried. The small floor was crowded so they were so close at the danced, she could hear his heavy breathing. She had no memory of his arm slipping around her waist but as the bridge began and the tempo slowed she found herself pressed against him swaying and being far too close to his face. He leaned down and for some reason beyond her knowledge she tilted her head up for him and he kissed her softly.

_It’s like I paid for it. I’m gonna pay for this._

As the guitar kicked back in so did her senses. She pulled away quickly and all she could see was the hurt and confusion in his eyes, eyes she knew mirrored hers at that moment. She raced outside hoping the cool air would clear her mind. She stood there in the parking lot trying to catch her breath. It’s only when she felt a hand grasp her shoulder that she realized that Jughead followed her out.  
“Toni.”  
“Let’s get one thing straight. I am not some rebound chick. Do you understand that, Jones?” She poked him in the chest to punctuate her point. “I am not some drunken hook up to forget pretty princess ponytail from the Northside.” She knew it wasn’t fair to say that about Betty, she barely knew the girl but in that moment she didn’t care. The whiskey and the anger shut down her reasonable thinking.  
“Toni, I just--.” He stumbled over his words in a way that made her almost feel bad for him. Almost.  
“Just what Jones?”

He stood there for a second just looking at her, and a small part of her did want to kiss him again.  
“I just was having so much fun. For the first time in a long time. … And you made me forget. Not just her but every screwed up thing going on in this town. I’m sorry.”

There they stood, two lost kids in the parking lot of a bar looking at each other like nothing made sense in the world. And maybe it didn’t but for one single night maybe it didn’t have to. She marched past him back to the entrance turning back around before she opened the door,  
“Buy me a burger and we’ll call it even.”

The sun was coming up when Toni finally got home, Jughead sitting on his bike to make sure she got in okay. She waved and turned to head in but paused. She knew she should leave it like this - just friends, who shared a burger, who talked and talked about everything under the sun until the bartender had to kick them out, and laughed like a couple of weirdos at the most terrible jokes. But she couldn’t and before she knew it the words were tumbling out:  
“Next time you kiss me Juggie, do it in private. I don’t like people in that bar knowing my business.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, that was Kiwi by Harry Styles. It's my headcanon female Serpent anthem. 
> 
> All credit for this should go to lestraea on here, she was my beta and took my ramblings and made it coherent so bless her soul.


End file.
